Release Nnamdi Kanu As Parting Gift, Ohanaeze Begs Buhari
Yesterday, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide issued a heartfelt plea to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to grant freedom to Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the President-General of Ohanaeze, addressed President Buhari, referring to him as an Igbo son and an honorary member of Ohanaeze.
Iwuanyanwu appealed to the President to ensure Kanu’s release before May 29, considering it a parting gift to the Southeast region.
Chief Iwuanyanwu made this appeal during the flag-off ceremony of the Oguta/Orashi Waterways hydrographic survey and dredging in Degema, Imo State.
Iwuanyanwu said: “Please, finally, our Vice President, tell our brother and son, President Buhari, that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo – the over 60 million Igbos – request that he should release Nnamdi Kanu.
“He should release Nnamdi Kanu. Igbos are not seceding. I don’t see why anyone will say Igbos are seceding. Igbos are everywhere. We have investments. Are we going to leave our investments?”
Nnamdi Kanu faces charges for violating the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act of 2013. However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed the remaining seven charges after Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja had already dismissed eight out of the 15 amended counts. The appellate court declared that Kanu’s extradition from Kenya in June 2021 blatantly violated Nigeria’s extradition treaty and infringed upon the fundamental human rights of the IPOB leader. As a result, the court ordered Kanu’s release from the custody of the State Security Service (SSS), where he has been detained since his return to Nigeria.
Nevertheless, the Federal Government has appealed to the Supreme Court and was recently granted permission to file nine new grounds of appeal in the case.
